Pistol Crossbow (steampunk or Military Style)

This step by step guide shows you how to make your very own pistol crossbow out of wood and PVC. I made 2 styles, a military style and a steampunk style. Both have the same basic building plan. The only power tools you'll need are a drill and an electrical jigsaw, making this project ideal for someone without expensive machinery. However, it does require a little bit of woodworking experience so I wouldn’t recommend it as your very first project. But don’t worry, you don’t need a woodworking course to pull this off.The draw weight of this crossbow is about 13 pounds (= 6.5 kg), which is on the low side, but it shoots straight for about 10 meters (approx. 10 yards). It was designed to shoot at close by targets, so it does the job well. If you wanted to make a more powerful version, I mention some suggestions in the video.Measurements are in metrics, so convert centimeter to inch by dividing by 2.54 and convert millimeter to inch by dividing by 25.4.

Disclaimer: I cannot be held liable for any injuries that may result from making or shooting this crossbow.

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Step 1: Watch the Video

Everything is explained in the video. The building plan is linked below. These are the materials you'll need (without the obvious ones), in order of appearance:

You seem to have all the stills you need - many people find it easier to follow a step-by-step set of instructions; they can be printed out to use in a grubby workshop, and flicked back and forth through much more conveniently than a video.

Thanks! The 3 piece trigger works like a charm and I'll use it on a more powerful version of this pistol crossbow. I know, my childhood would have been totally awesome if I could have build then what I can build now :-)